Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 5

Sewickley Public Library remains closed until further notice after a leak from its heating and air conditioning system caused extensive water damage, according to a post on the library website. The community room, non-fiction section, computer area and staff workrooms were damaged. The problem was unrelated to recent work on...

A new “doughnut-style” pig pavilion at Blackberry Meadows in Fawn will help prevent soil erosion and, in turn, boost local food production. The 75-acre farm sells pastured pork, produce and eggs and also operates a Community Supported Agriculture program where people can buy herbs and produce directly from the Ridge...

Excessive rain in the spring followed by a hot, dry summer might be the weather pattern of the future. Experts point to atmospheric greenhouse gases that are higher than they’ve been in more than a million years for driving temperature changes. The abundance of carbon dioxide, methane and other gases...

The owner of a Tarentum beauty supply store knows exposure is the key to small-business success. Misty Woody, owner of Good Hair Boutique, is looking to the upcoming Tarentum Business Crawl to spur foot traffic and highlight some of the best the borough has to offer. “We have 11 locally...

People are invited to lace up their shoes and hit the pavement through a new prayer ministry at Faith United Methodist Church in Fox Chapel. A monthly prayer walk aims to connect people with the community around them – the ministry rotates between Blawnox, Fox Chapel and Sharpsburg. “We walk...

Lori Claus doesn’t live in Sharpsburg but that didn’t stop her from wanting to get involved in the small river town. Three years ago, she stumbled upon a webinar offered by the Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization on how to implement community-minded projects. It resulted in the O’Hara resident spearheading an initiative...

Fourteen-year-old Kate Blakeslee is considering a future in medicine but said she’s learning crucial career skills through a new elective, greenhouse entrepreneurship, at Harvest Baptist Academy in Fawn. “We learn time management and teamwork, which are both important in any path you follow,” said Kate of Saxonburg. “We’ve gotten lectures...

Temporary traffic disruptions are expected in Tarentum over the next two weeks. Crews will begin replacing utility poles throughout the borough on Monday, starting along West Fourth Avenue. Work is part of the borough’s planning and maintenance program. The project will target nine locations, the last of which was added...

Pushing heavy carts full of food across gravel and potholes hasn’t been easy for volunteers at the Allegheny Valley Association of Churches in Harrison. The nonprofit serves nearly 500 families twice a month with produce, meat and dairy products. And, the group sees more than 17,000 people at the office...

Allegheny Health Network officials said a decision to shutter a longtime primary care office in New Kensington is unrelated to its office staff voting to unionize. United Physicians at 305 Seventh St. is expected to close by the end of the year, said Sarafina James, AHN senior public relations analyst....

A portion of Burtner Road in Harrison and Fawn will be closed through the end of the month for slide repair work. The closure is expected to start at 7 a.m. Tuesday, according to PennDOT. Work will target the portion of Burtner Road from Pleasantville Road to Bachman Drive. PennDOT...

Historian Tom Powers is giving residents a peek into the evolution of Blawnox as the town prepares to celebrate its centennial. Born from a forested riverbank that transformed into Depreciation Lands, Blawnox was originally known as the village of Hoboken before growing into a bona fide manufacturing hub. “Even with...

One of Sharpsburg’s biggest events is set to make a return next year to coincide with the borough’s bicentennial. Open Streets, which in the past drew more than 3,000 people for a Main Street festival, is a fitting addition to the anniversary lineup, organizers said. It will showcase how the...

Lindsey Merzlak of Harrison remembers sitting in a Highlands Middle School science class when news broke that terrorists hijacked planes and struck the World Trade Center in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001. “My teacher put it on TV and nobody knew what was happening,” Merzlak said. “I remember...

Urgent care facilities in Harrison and Tarentum, less than 2 miles apart, will remain open despite each being rebranded to UPMC-GoHealth. The former UPMC Urgent Care in Harrison and Med­Express in Tarentum are not expected to consolidate, according to UPMC Senior Director of Public Relations Allison Hydzik. The facilities offer...

From crochet to pickleball and pottery to guitar, a world of learning opportunities is opening in Fox Chapel — and for these classes, children aren’t the ones headed back to class. Fox Chapel Area Adult Education opened registration on a slew of unique, quirky and traditional courses that will run...

Residents who were riled up over the removal of enormous Norway maple trees from Brackenridge Memorial Park can breathe a sigh of relief. Trees, more than two dozen total, will return this fall to the park along the Allegheny River. Ashley Martin, from the nonprofit Friends of the Riverfront, said...

Brackenridge Council is doing the best it can with the money the borough has available for paving, borough officials say. Tresco Paving is scheduled to start work Wednesday on portions of Union Avenue, First Avenue and Prospect Street. “We try for every grant we can get,” Council President Tim Connelly...

After two decades targeting the environmental health of Delaware’s three inland bays, Chris Bason is pivoting his focus to land and birds. Bason is the new executive director of the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania, headquartered at Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve in Fox Chapel. He began the role Sept. 2,...

Friends of Bob Sims call him “the War Horse.” To his family, the 95-year-old born and raised in Tarentum is “Pappy.” Last week, Sims earned a new title — the longest-serving firefighter in the Tarentum Volunteer Fire Department, which consists of Highland Hose, Eureka Fire-Rescue and Summit Hose. Sims has...

The newest Harrison commissioner said he plans to focus on township revitalization. Justin Johnson, 45, was appointed by the vacancy board to fill a 1st Ward position. He takes the place of Chuck Dizard, who stepped down in July. Johnson was chosen by the township vacancy board after the commissioners...

It’s not unusual for students at Highlands Early Childhood Center to munch on beets, peppers or squash alongside their chicken fingers at lunchtime. The Harvest of the Month samplings are part of an effort by school leaders to provide access to nutritious foods and support a healthy lifestyle for the...

A $6.2 million expansion at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison will boost inpatient rehabilitation space by 70% and establish it as a rehab hub for parent company Allegheny Health Network. Space for patients recovering from injuries, surgery and serious illness will increase from 17 to 29 beds. Hospital President Dr....

In his role as a volunteer for the Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church Harvest Fair, George McDermott never stops. The Fox Chapel Area alum and Duquesne University junior has lent his time for three years to ready donations for the church’s annual fundraiser. “We are so busy,” volunteer coordinator Fay Powell...

The vote to fill Harrison’s open commissioner seat will likely come down to one vote, that of vacancy board member George Conroy. Commissioners on Aug. 25 deadlocked in a vote between nominees Alan Fisher of Union Avenue and Justin Johnson of Carlisle Street. Now, the vacancy board — comprising the...